One of the things I need to start doing is organizing my ideas/goals and writing them down. I believe planning and writing down your goals is just as important as actually accomplishing them. So here’s a list…or should I say a few lists broken up to different categories. This list will probably be ever changing as I add or delete from it.

Equipment:

1. 18-200mm lens
2. 2nd strobe light
3. 23-inch Apple Cinema Display
4. Pocket Wizards

For the business:
1. Shoot more (obviously)
2. Get published
3. Get paid gigs
4. Create book and submit to magazine
5. Calendar idea with Norma
6. Create specific campaigns for portfolio

Here’s a photoshoot I did with model Raphael York in December of 2007. He’s coming out with an album and wanted shots for his demo tape and website. The concept was something urban and lots of color (hence the graffiti wall).

Here is some more information on Raphael York:

http://raphaelyork.com/

http://www.myspace.com/RaphaelYork

Welcome to Marvin Yan Photography. Come along for the ride as I journey from geeky programmer to becoming one of the top professional photographers (or at least I hope to be).

I guess a few words about is necessary here. I’m Marvin Yan as you may have guessed and I’ve been a programmer/network admin for … I’d say the past 10 years. I am proud to say that I’ve come to hate what I do. It was interesting when I first started way back when, but as the years passed my by, I’ve become aware that this is all bullshit. Sitting in front of a computer all day everyday, making “the man” richer as I work for a grossly underpaid paycheck is utterly stupid. Look at the world out there…life is not meant to be spent behind the monitor 10-12 hours a day. Life is meant to be lived and experienced.

So, coming to this realization, I asked myself what is it that I wanted to do…and not what is it that I have to do. This, as simple as it may sound, was not a simple question to answer. I mean, how many of you out there have really given that any serious thought?…And how many of you came up with an answer in the first 10 minutes? If you did, congratulations…and if you’re doing what you want to do as opposed to what you have to do, then double-congratulations! As for me, it took me a while and also some trials but it eventually came to photography.

Why photography? Well, I’ve always been fascinated with photographs, the emotion they can convey within me, the mood, the story…and I’m talking about the old school photographs where photographers used film, actual lighting and darkroom techniques…not today’s so-called photographers where it’s all digital and photoshopped to death.

So, I decided to take a few photography classes at Pasadena City College and if I don’t like it, no biggie. It turns out, I do like it and I’m continuing on to get a photography certificate. This coming Winter Semester will be my third semester and I’ll be taking Art History as part of the curriculum. Only one class right now which is all I have time for as I am currently working full time to pay the bills. I’ll be taking three classes come Spring Semester which I am really looking forward to!

That’s pretty much it and pretty much where I am right now. I’ll try to post as much as I can … I really do hate blogging, well, not hate…just not used to it. Please check out my site if you haven’t yet and also I have more pictures on my flickr.com page:

http://marvinyan.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marvinyan/

Peace!